Ngithe mangingena esangweni emsebenzini ntambama,nangu uGatsheni, acele iluzi, ngimunike ibhokisi ngoba vele sekusele imicu emithathu, kanti vele ngisenayo i20 esavaliwe, abonge anconcoze. Ngifika ntambama nje angithandi, kodwa ke imali iyadingeka.Kunebhizi emsebenzini,sithembise ikhasimende umkhiqizo osezingeni eliphezulu,mina ngisebuxhakaxhakeni bamakhomputha, ngiyavivinya ngiyaphasisa noma ngiphindisele emuva balungise,umsebenzi uthe bheeeee. Simaqembuqembu ahlukanisiwe ukuze umsebenzi usheshe, kukhona abangena emini nasebusuku,sengisizwa iwona ugwayi oluhlaza ukubamba umsebenzi ziqine, ngisebenza kuze kuse mangibheme kahle. Emva kwesikhathi ebusuku ngishone ophahleni lwebhilidi, mhlambe laseligamenxe elishiyagalolunye ihora, isikhathi sekhefu, umsebenzi wempelaveki sengiwuqedile, owanamuhlanje mncane kakhulu,vele namadamu ngifika sengiwagoqile. Namhlanje kusebenza lonogada owuZanele, ngimubone mangingena exoxa nentokazi entsha eklinayo,ave ephapha, uzitshela ukuthi uyinduna kanti udlala lendiya elibaphethe. NoGatsheni abadlaleli kuZanele, bamusaba kabi, kodwa ke naye uZingelwayo sengathi uyishimele. Make nganyuka nje, ngimubona esethi thushu engamenywanga, kungathi ungigada kumakhamera lawa ahlezi ewabhekile. Ngifike ngishise idamu, ngisadonse kabili, ngiwuzwa kahle ugwayi uqaqa ingqondo."Mazwi, niyazenzela efemini yomlungu, nivele nishise umthunzi wezinkukhu, sengathi nikameshenti." Ahleke olwasemfuleni uhleko, azashaye ibhuku leli aliphethe, alivule abhale ebhukwini lakhe. "Zanele, yini inkinga yakho ngempela? Umuntu akakwazi ukubhema ngoxolo. Njalo mangilana uyangilandela. Umthetho wakho ufunani?", ngibuza sekuthe xhifi. "Phela Mazwi, ngingatshela umlungu ukuthi ubhema insangu, kungaphela ukuqina." Usho ulokhu edlula phambi kwami, ufake lomfaniswano wabo ongichachazayo, iblukwe elimnyama nehembe elimhlophe, nontanjana wabesimame obomvu, nesitshalagwayi,nekotoyi elibomvu,ngimunike idamu njengenjwayelo. Ashaye amabili kanti uye ngamawala ngiphethe ushevu wabeSuthu. Ngimuzwe umuxina, ngihleke kancane:"Yini, maZet, zikhiphani lapho." Anikine ikhanda ewukhipha ngamakhala,"Uphethe urhefu, yhooo!" Esho edonsa futhi, ngiyamubona uyalibona izulu, alibuyisele kumina idamu. Kuyabanda sibhemela kwelinye ihontshi eliseduze kwegumbi elihlala injini kadiesel, esiza makuphela ugesi. Mudadlana kunami,ave ekwazisa ke lokho, ngake ngamshela wathi ngizoshiswa izinto zamarazo, ngisemncane. Ngiyiqale sakudlala indaba:"Eyi kudingeka enamehlo, makunje." Angibhuqe:"Make wabhema nje,logwayi wehlela kwitotolozana lakho. Awuhloniphi Mazwi, uzotshela usisi wakho, ukuthi ufuna ukumbhebha. Ngimdala mfanawami." Ngiphikelele:"Wena, Zanele uqine ubala. Ungathola ukuthi awukwazi nakuqabula, unjalo nje." Aluphinde lohleko lwakhe:"Ungachama tshaaaaa, mangahle ngikubambe ngolimu. Inkinga yakho unenhliziyo engaphandle. Kufuneka indoda enesineke,Mazwi. Hhayi lophaphiyosi onguye." Ngimubambe ngimufake ekhoneni, ngizame ukumqabula, athi:"Ngizomemeza bese uyajabha." Ngifake izandla phakathi kwejazi ngimusondeze, sithintane ngezinene, idamu ligcine kuyena, adonse ithamo, angifuthe ngentuthu ebusweni, adonse elokugcina, alilahle, angivule umlomo, aphephethe intuthu kancane emlomeni wami, sibhekene ngeziqu zamehlo. Angiqabule, izindebe,angincishe ulimu, ngilufake, ayekele.Ngimubhodoloshe izinqe, ngijike ngamahips, mangifika ngaphambili, ngimuhlikihle isibumbu phezu kwaziphu, weblukwe. Ngimuzwe ethamba:"Hhayi Mazwi, sizobanjwa, kade ngihambile." Ngiqinise ngokuhlikihla, amehlo akhe asevaleke uhhafu, zimfatile. Ulokhu ekhotha izindebe ubala, useze wavula umlomo kancane enanela ukuhlikihlwa isibumbu, kudala siwudlala lomdlalo kodwa ebaleka, mangimuthinta ikhekhe, namhlanje ngimuvalele ekhoneni, akuphumeki. Ngimubambe ibhande ngithi ngiyaliqaqa:"Uzothini makuqhamuka oGatsheni lana? Usufuna ukungidlela nje emnyango,uyazibona ubhayiza kanjani? Asingene kulendlu enenjini. Angikhawundi phela mina." Ngibone ukuthi nansi inyamazane izophunyuka seyibhajwe kunoxhaka. Ngithi :"Landa izikhiye ezansi, sikwazi ukungena." Amoyizele, afake isandla ejazini, akhiphe isixhakaxhaka sezikhiye, azidlalise phambi kobuso bami. Qaqekiyane ibhande, ekudala ngilikutakuta, ngishutheke isandla ngokuphazima kweso, masingena singena ephentini, sehle noziphu weblukwe, ngikame izinza zakhe ngeminwe, zithambile sengathi zigcotshwa amafutha,ngiphuthaze ngize ngiwuthole, bese ngimunwaye ngqo kubhontshisi, kuqathathe izikhiye zebhilidi,angigaxe azalale phezu kwehlombe lami. "Ima Mazwi, kuzoqhamuka umuntu, ima, Uuuuh shit,"usho ngelinensayo iphimbo, uyezwakala uyakuthokozela engikwenzayo, useba, belela ngezidindi okomuntu emuka nomfula, akusasizi.Ngishaya usehla senyuka okomuntu eshuka isikhumba sebheshu, ngibuye ngiwujikeleze ngesandla, angiqabule, kanti uvala umsindo wokuchama, ukhalela emlomeni wami, ngimuxine eduze, shuthe umunwe phakathi enkomeni iconsa-co, angibambe ngekhanda eliphulula, usexegelwa namadolo, sihlangane ngeziphongo, aqale afende umunwe wami. "Sizobanjwa Mazwi,mmmmh-oooooh asambe lana"; usho akayekile ukufenda. Into eyathi akangibambe umthondo angazi iyiphi, awurabhe phezu kwejean, kanti usuqine okwensika kakhonkolo. Angibheke ngamehlo okwethuka, angiqabule ajule, ngiyabona uyazithandela uZanele, uholokoqo. Ngizwe ngesandla sakhe siqaqa inkinobho yejean vele ibhande ngiliqaqe kudalooo, angene mawala ngesandla esibandayo, ngizwe sengathi ngishaywa ugesi. Awuxukuze ewuhlikihla umthondo, lapho avele angigaxe ulimi emlomeni,lude lufika kwenye indawo. Awukhiphe uzwa umthondo, athi:"Khipha umunwe." Usho ngesankahlu, ngiyaqala ukumuzwa eqinisa izwi kumina, kwakungathi ngiyaboshwa, ngiwukhiphe ngishesha umunwe. Ngimehlise iblukwe, liphelezelwa iphenti, konke kuyobhajwa emaqakaleni. Angidonse ngawo, acokame kancane ehlele kuwona, uyala ukungena, ngendlela esime ngayo. Angincikise odongeni, angifulathele, adunuse,aphenye ijazi,lihlale eqolo, izinqa zihlale obala. Ngiyifunde, ivuliwe, ngithi vosho kancane, nginyuke sengingena ngaye, kuyezwakala ukuthi akundlela ehanjwa njalo lena, ugcine ungene ngekhingqi umthondo. Ngifende kancane ukuze ungene uphelele. Avele athi : " Unganyakazi." Ngisalalele lokho, enyuke kancane uZanele, abuye ngamandla, halakasha, ungene umthondo, kwehle kwajazi lelo eqolo, lizoba imfukumfuku lasixhumene khona, ngilibambe ngamachopho okobambe ingubo yomshado yomlobokazi. Simunandi isibumbu sikaZanele, sishisa okwesithando somlilo woAbednigo ebhayibhelini. Wayeqinisile umethi ngizosha, ujikeleza ngesinqa angifende, mangithi ngiyafenda , uvele angithi jeqe, ngelokuhlola insimu iso. Ngiyabona uwusingaye kulomcimbi. Ufike afende afende besethi dli-dli kabili eshona phansi, abese etshikiza isinqe,ngibone izinkanyezi. Imina okhalayo:"Zanele, mmmmh, Zanele, wangipha kamnandi." Akasathi vu, ukhuluma ngeqolo nesibumbu. Nami ngibuye ngiqalaze ukuthi akuqhamuki muntu yini, injalo into yokwebiwa awuyidli ngokukhululeka. Ngigoqe ijazi lelo kusuka emphethweni walo ngenyuka lize libe umbhundu, ngimudonse ngalo, ngifende. Wayengalindele ngoba ngezwa esekhuluma:"Kodwa Mazwi wangibhebha kanjeeena, awu-awu-awu!" Angimniki thuba, ngishaya ngo4phawundi kuzwele, ngiwugaxa kuze kupatshake amasende ethe ne ezinqeni zakhe. Elule izandla, angibambe ezihlakaleni,angihlangabeze, ungipha ngokugcwala kwaso, kushe isibumbu nomthondo, izinqa nesende; faaxa-faaaxa-faaaxa-faxa----faxa...ihle mayihlehla intombi yakwaMacingwane. Ngiqalaze futhi, yithi sobabili. Avele ahlanganise imilenze, kuqaqeke ukusa kumina, ngangithi ungibambe ngesandla ungishaya indlwabu, kanti chabobo indlela isibumbu sasixhakathise umthondo wami ngayo. Ngizwe egeleza, adedele izihlakala zami, azivale umlomo, ngime, ngimlinde:"Umeeelani, qhuuuubeka...mmmmmmmh." Uyagqirha, usephufumula ngomlomo okwenhlanzi eshelwe amanzi. Ngidedele umbhundu wejazi, ngimubambe ngezinqa, ngifendele ukufa. Ngimubize:"Zanele, Zaneeele, oooh Zanele." Ngilale phezu kwakhe, ngimukotele, kutsaze ipayipi leyicimalilo, ligudle yonke indawo ngaphakathi, kudume izinhlonono. Usethi nje:"Yes-yes-yes, chama baba, mmmh sishisa kamnandi." Mase lidume ledlula sisagobe sobabili, waphakama, wahlehla nyova nami, sabhajwa odongeni. Athathe izandla zami azibeke emabeleni akhe."Kade ngangifisa ukubhejelwa ngaphandle. Angeke ngabukhohlwa lobusuku." Sime silalele lomuzwa emuzuzwini wezimpilo zethu. Kukhale u-over:"Hli-hli. Zulu-Alpha-November-Echo-Libra-Echo, come in over." UGatsheni kuova. Akhiphe iduku ephaketheni lejazi, alibeke esibunjini, acokame adonse umthondo, uphume, azisule isibumbu,meqeda ukuzisula, aphenduke angibheke, aguqe, angikiline umthondo ngolimu lonwabu, angisule ngolimu amasende, mayeqeda anginyuse itrunk nejean. Afake iduku ephaketheni lami:"Isikhumbuzo sethu leso." Aphakame, akhumule ijazi, angibambise ijazi, enyuse iphenti, ahlele kahle ihembe, anyuse iblukwe lakhe, afase ibhande, acele ijazi, ngimunikeze. Awuthule njalo uova, ulokhu ubize oZulu noAlpha. Athathe iphepha ebhukwini, abhale okuthize, anginikeze:"Idilesi lami lelo, ngicela ungilethele iduku lami ngoMgqibelo." Ngihleke kancane ngoba uMsombuluko, ngiligoqe iphepha, ngilifake ephaketheni. Kodwa ngiyezwa lebj yakhe ingilolile...siphume ngokushiyana, yena uthethisa uGatsheni ukuthi akushi bhilidi, wase mcefezela kangaka...uZanele engimaziyo ke lona...ngokhele usikilidi ngibuke idolobha laseGoli, nobukhazikhazi balo...Iyaqhubeka bathakathi.